Month: December 2015

So you’ve been asked to speak on video and post it online . . . now what?

Sometimes knowing where to start is the most difficult part. Not only is there the swelling angst of camera anxiety, the rapidly approaching deadline that shouts “we needed it yesterday,” the overwhelming feeling of where to begin, the technical know-how gap, and of course–if we’re being really honest–a delicate ego and image to preserve after all.

Over the next several weeks, we’ll tackle these obstacles to help you conquer the camera, and create online videos that are both professional and effective.

As a place to begin, some of the best video presentations emerge from a need or a core problem in your current business or situation. Make sure you identify this need so your online video can hit its target. This is why I challenge you to begin by identifying your target audience. Is your target audience internal colleagues? Staff? External customers? Students? Constituents? Clients? For example, if you are a professor teaching an online course, your target audience is the students enrolled in your course. So what is it they need from you?

This next step then determines what your target audience needs. Video is best at leveraging movement, presence, and storytelling. Which of these elements would help you address their needs? Using the online course example, students need to get to know you as their online instructor, to develop a rapport with you–albeit virtually–and to recognize your credibility and content expertise. Therefore, creating an online video to introduce students to you, your background, and course expectations is an example of using video to address a specific need for a specific, target audience.

After determining your audience and their need, your next step is to identify your Central Goal. The Central Goal is the ultimate impact you wish to achieve with your online video, condensed into one sentence. To help you identify it, consider the following questions: What impact do you want to achieve? Do you want customers to buy more “XX more gidgets” after watching the video? Do you want to increase your Twitter following? Do you want to attract more patients? Do you want to increase your clientele by XX%? Boil down the impact in one concise statement.

Concision is of the most difficult parts to writing a Central Idea. Imagine pitching your sales product to someone in an elevator. As you know, you have only a few seconds before that elevator door opens, so your pitch must be concise. The Central Goal needs to be just as concise. It is in the process of paring it down, that you get at the core of why you’re creating an online video and what you really hope to achieve with it as a result. Concision leads to clarity.

After all, if you don’t know why you’re presenting on video or what you hope to achieve with it at the deepest level . . . you’ll miss everytime.

When we first watched the original Star Wars movie when it was released in the 70’s, my peers and I were just kids. The tables have since turned and it feels rather nostalgic on the eve of the release of the 7th movie to have our own kids who want to watch the movie now.

Given the hype with the premiere of The Force Awakens this week and its official opening in theatres by the end of this week, the blockbuster Star Wars’ epic reminds us of one powerful element that continues to engage, captivate, and awaken the human spirit–that is, the power of story.

Through film, book, presentation, article, poem, or song–good stories through the ages continue to grip us, focus our attention, immerse us in plot, make us laugh, and make us cry.

The power of story even translates across mediums and genre. Elements of story can even be applied to online video. For example, as you design your shots and scripts, consider how you might share your message with elements of story. As legendary film director Steven Spielberg once said about himself, “I’m a storyteller.” Films and stories like Star Wars are rich with conflict and scenes, action and emotion, heroes and villains, and mounting tension and resolution–all of which capture our hearts again and again. How else could something which began through oral culture still work its magic across media, genres, and generations?

As you work on your online videos, consider incorporating elements of story–appropriate to your content–through some of the following ways:

Show different camera angles and contextual shots to establish a sense of place.

Set up a problem or challenge to be resolved.

Introduce different personalities to us in your videos to grow your cast of “characters.”

Include emotional appeal in your scripting and delivery.

Show mounting tension as you are attempting to resolve an initial challenge or problem.

Briefly walk through the consequences of making incorrect choices in the content about which you’re informing, instructing, or marketing to us.

End with a satisfying resolution of the conflict.

If you have your Star Wars ticket already, enjoy the show! Just remember . . . that the art of story and its captivating magic is not just for film. The power of story offers us lessons widely applicable to much more than just a two hour experience in a theatre seat.

When you speak on video, the challenge is always remembering what you want to say in order to deliver your message effectively. That is not easily done. You may experience camera anxiety, you may be nervous and forgetful about your content, and you may default into “reading” mode.

The bottom line is that regardless of your on-camera experience or familiarity with the topic, you’ll want to always prepare what you will say ahead of time. Dedicate preparation time to think through your comments beforehand, as individuals who believe they can “wing it” often end up consuming precious studio time, not to mention, wasting the time of video crew, post-production staff, and yourself. Time after all, is money.

Once you’ve carved out time to think through your message for video, clients usually ask whether they should speak from an outline or deliver from a script. There are some people who can successfully read from a script via teleprompter because they are able to read without sounding like they’re “reading.” If this is you, you are one of the lucky ones.

For those who can successfully read conversationally from a teleprompter, they sound as if they are speaking extemporaneously, even though they’re reading full sentences scrolling in front of them. This creates a genuine tone, believability, and a realism that is engaging to viewers pulled in by the authenticity of the message.

The key to sounding like you’re not reading is in the script writing. Script in such a way that your words, phrasing, and sentences are constructed the way you would normally speak. To help you achieve this effect, read your script out loud and edit appropriately.

For individuals who tend to sound like they’re “reading,” speaking from an outline is a better alternative. Outline your central idea and then supporting sub-points to develop your central idea. Place your outline as close as possible to the lens, so that you can be reminded of what to say. This way, you know where you’re headed, but your spoken words will be what comes to you at the time. This extemporaneous kind of speaking will help you come across more naturally, and engage and maintain your viewers’ attention more effectively.

What questions do you have about speaking from outlines or a teleprompter?

Using your voice is such an integral part of video presentations that it deserves more attention than you’d think. This post is devoted to exploring additional tips and tricks to ensure your voice is up to par, so you can sound great for your viewers.

Keeping hydrated is one of the key tips to ensuring your voice doesn’t crack during “takes,” or cause you to make vocal mistakes that lengthen your shoot with more “takes” than you wanted. The all-time best way to keep your vocal cords hydrated is by drinking water. Room temperature water is best, as chilled water can constrict your throat. Stay away from caffeinated drinks too, and of course, alcoholic beverages, as they can really dry out your vocal cords.

Contant clearing of your throat is also rough on your throat and can stress vocal chords. If you find that you’re someone who habitually clears your throat, try light swallowing instead when you feel that urge. Soft humming is also a way to get past the throat tickle, but helps you remove the urge in a healthier way. Humming is also a great way to warm-up your voice and keep your cords working for you, not against you.

The wonderful thing about video is that you don’t need to shout or project a theatre voice for the camera. Thankfully, your microphone does all the amplification for you. Of course, you’ll still need breath support from your diaphragm in your lower abdomen to have a resonant voice, but you won’t have to strain your voice by pushing your own volume.

Sometimes speakers’ voices on video have a static to them or noisy ambience, this can sometimes be attributed to what happens when the video is compressed. Be careful when you reduce your video’s file size and bandwidth, so that it doesn’t compress your audio in a way that makes the speaker’s voice filled with static or tinny sounding.

Finally, remember that a credible, confident, and solid voice comes from good posture. Surprising, I know . . . but true. Slouching can constrict your voice and your breath support, neither of which is helpful to a video presenter on-camera.

Applying these few simple tips can ensure that your voice is ready to go . . . the next time you present on video.